The Mountaineers
At The Mountaineers, we know the power of nature to restore our souls and inspire our spirits. We're proud of the service of our active-duty and veteran members and their efforts to preserve our own Freedom of the Hills for future generations. To celebrate Veterans Day, we highlight a Mountaineer whose dedication helps our club and our country.
Nate Brown grew up in Illinois, and following a strong family background in military service he enlisted in the Army at 17 years old. A communications soldier, he was active duty for 13 years before leaving the service in early 2018. He served a total of 3 years in Afghanistan and Iraq in addition to being stationed in Colorado, Kansas, and Washington. Nate served as a Victim Advocate for sexual harassment and assault, and was awarded the Sergeant Audie Murphy Award, the highest leadership award given to Noncommissioned Officers. He also claims “the prestigious, yet unofficial ‘Weak Knee Award’ for maintaining an unbroken record of falling down after every air assault on my second Afghanistan tour.” When asked about his favorite Mountaineers memory he replied:
“Reaching the summit of Colonial Peak in the North Cascades during my basic climbing course. This was the third summit of the trip (after both Snowfield and Neve Peak), and while I was no stranger to that feeling of complete exhaustion, I had never experienced it with the absolute joy that comes from spending a day climbing mountains with a great group of people. A certain masochist part of me had always enjoyed the suffering aspect, sure, but combining it with the feeling of accomplishment by standing on the summit was so powerful, and I knew I had tapped into something that would become a lifelong passion, all thanks to The Mountaineers. And a fun fact: my pack weight is typically 50% camera gear, 30% snacks, and 20% everything else. It's all about those priorities.”
Enjoying the outdoors is a luxury - a freedom we enjoy thanks to the brave people like Nate who sacrifice for our country. Today we honor their service. Thank you veterans.
